Eternity
by BlaizeC
Summary: Victoria changes Bella, and leaves her to wander for the rest of eternity, alone, in revenge. Follow her as she discovers what life as a vampire is really like, and how she finds a certain blonde haired vampire. Rated M for language.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey there! I promise I haven't given up on my other story, chapter six is just being /really/ difficult. So, I decided to write this while my muse is on vacation. It should be back soon, though, so don't worry!

I never thought I would die this way. I figured I would die a dignified death, maybe go in my sleep. I guess that wasn't meant to happen.

I curled farther into the cold, hard wall of the bathroom she had me cornered in. Not that I would have gotten far running. She managed to track me halfway across the country, she could find me anywhere I managed to run. There was no getting out of this.

She laughed menacingly. "A mate for a mate, little one. Stand and face your fate. It was sealed the moment your mate laid a finger on mine."

"He's not my mate! Shouldn't you be going after Edward? Does it not matter that he doesn't care about me? It's pretty obvious he doesn't care, he left me unprotected. Shouldn't you be killing him?" Please, see the logic, I silently pleaded after my little rant.

She laughed. "Little human, I don't care if he doesn't care about you. You were the one that caused Edward kill my mate, therefore you, and solely you, are responsible. Maybe I should turn you and subject you to this life, wandering alone. Leave you out in the forest, leave you to figure out this life by yourself. Give you a taste of the life I now have to live. I think that punishment would be far more torturous than what I had in mind." She began pacing in front of me, her hands curled into what looked like claws. "See, I was just going to kill you, before you made me haul my ass across the country after you. It was going to be quick. Mostly painless. I was going to just drink that sweet blood of yours, until you ran dry. Until you turned cold with death. This way, I still get to taste your blood, and your punishment lasts longer."

I started crying, then. I was able to hold myself together until then. Eternity, alone? Wandering the earth, with no companion? She was right. It was a fate far worse than death.

"Please, no. Just kill me." I held my wrist out, an offering.

She laughed, and, too fast for my eyes to comprehend, she had bitten. I thought maybe, just maybe, she had decided to kill me. Until she pulled back, and smiled.

"Idiotic human. Did you honestly think I would be swayed that easily? That should be enough venom to change you, but the change will take longer. Probably around five days, I would guess." She picked me up, and threw me over her shoulder, and started running then.

That's when I began to feel it. It was like a slow fire was running creeping up my arm. I patted my arm, stupidly thinking I had somehow lit it on fire. It got more intense then, the fire burning hotter. I wanted to scream, to kick, to injure the person who had done this to me. I knew that would get me nowhere, though, somewhere in the back of my mind.

I felt myself being thrown to the ground, then. My eyesight was gone. I was blind. I felt the air move around me. We must be out in the forest, like Victoria said she would leave me. I felt her lean down, whispering something in my ear.

"Have a nice eternity, little one."

With that, she was gone. I was alone. Alone. I couldn't even hear any animals around me, no birds chirping, nothing.

I could still feel the fire, creeping slowly, but surely, up my arm and into my torso. I would not scream. I would think around it. I wouldn't give that bitch the satisfaction of letting her know she caused me pain, if she was within hearing distance.

I shifted through my memories of a human, trying to commit them to memory, so I would have them as a vampire. I thought of Charlie, back in Forks, and Renee, still in Arizona. Arizona. I remember it being really warm and sunny there, and the dessert being absolutely beautiful, in a dead sort of way. I like warm. And sunny. Neither of which I got in Forks. I didn't get enough sun here to make up for those lost years stuck under the dreariness of Forks. I would never be able to go back to Arizona. I would be subjected to walking in shadows for the rest of eternity.

I said my goodbyes to my parents when I moved here to Texas. At least I wouldn't leave loose ends, having not really made any close friends while I was in college. Renee wouldn't mourn my death, and Charlie would move on quickly.

I had just celebrated my twenty-second birthday last weekend. The few friends I did have took me out to a bar, and got me drunk. I laughed mentally at the memories of that night; my friends getting wasted and hitting on random guys, me having a bout of confidence and deciding that dancing on the floor was over-rated, and took to a table. I would never forget that night.

I ran through the memories of my childhood; the ones I had. My childhood hadn't been great, my flighty mother always forgetting to pay one bill or the other. We moved a lot, but tried to stay in Arizona, since she just couldn't bear to leave. I switched schools often, never staying long enough in one place to really put down roots and make friends. Which is probably why I had such trouble making friends now, I was afraid of losing them.

The burn intensified. My mind was consumed with it for an immeasurable amount of time. The venom had, finally, reached my heart, and it became the center of the burning. It felt like my heart was melting, dripping liquid fire into the rest of my veins. I couldn't think of anything else but the flames for a while, I couldn't even keep track of the time.

Some time later, it died down, allowing me to think again. I found that I could think about multiple things at once. One part of my mind would be on keeping track of what was happening around me, leaves falling, the wind blowing. Another part was able to think about my childhood, and still another was able to think about other things. The venom must have been changing the capacity of my brain when I couldn't think around the pain.

That was how I spent the next four days. Wallowing in the fire, feeling like it was burning me alive. I ran through my memories when I could, hoping I would still have them when I awoke to this new life.

The thought of my diet ran through my brain. Should I follow Carlisle's example, or should I hunt humans? It seemed the more natural choice was to hunt humans. The bad ones, at least. It helped humanity. And the thought of animal blood just seemed repulsive.

So it was decided. I would hunt humans. Carlisle would be disappointed. I couldn't find it in myself to care.

The fire started to recede, the change nearly finished. I could wiggle my fingers now, and I could feel my feet. The fire was retreating towards my torso, the flames rushing to my heart. I could hear it, thumping wetly in my chest. The fire consumed my heart. The pain reached unbearable levels.

And then, it stopped.

A/N: Yep. That's it. I left you with a cliffhanger. :D

This isn't the end of the story, of course. I'll update as soon as I can.

Leave me a nice review!

-Blaize


	2. Chapter 2

I opened my eyes slowly, not wanting to overwhelm myself. Everything was so sharp, so clear. I could count the veins in the leaves on the other side of the meadow, which was a good hundred feet away, easily. The sky was an amazing shade of blue, the clouds a pure, bright white. I could feel the wind caressing me as it passed, its fingers wrapping briefly around me, then gone again. I could feel the ground beneath my feet, the dirt warm and hard beneath my toes. I could feel the grass tickle my ankles; I saw the prisms of light as they danced across the sky. It was all so intense. Amazing.

I didn't know what to do. Should I wait for nightfall, and head into town? Should I even head into town? Would I have enough control to restrain myself? I couldn't spend the rest of my life wandering around the outskirts of Houston. I felt so lost, so alone. I wasn't the social butterfly before, but something was pulling me towards town. I would try to head into town after dark. I think I could handle myself when there were less people around. Plus, I mentally added, I couldn't expose myself in the sun if it was dark.

While I waited for nightfall, I worked on my fine motor skills. The kind of strength I now had was a difficult thing to get used to. I would try to pick up sticks, and try to pluck leaves off the branch without crushing them. It was a surprisingly difficult task.

By the time night came, I could button and unbutton the buttons on my blouse without ripping the fabric or crushing the buttons. I figured I had good enough over my motor skills. I ran towards the lights that I assumed were town.

Not too far on the outskirts of town, it hit me. Heartbeats. Three of them. A mile to my right. Before I could stop myself, I found myself running towards the wet thumping of hearts.

I inhaled, picking their scents out in the plethora of scents around me. Amazing. Better than any food I had smelled as a human. As I got closer, I could see them sitting around a fire, talking and laughing. There was a round faced little girl, sitting with her mother and father.

A child.

I couldn't kill a child.

As quickly as it came, the bloodlust was gone. There wasn't anything left in its wake. I couldn't kill her parents and leave her stranded, either. I turned and ran away from the campsite as fast as I could. If anything proved my control, that was it. I shouldn't have been able to stop in the middle of a hunt. Shrugging, I tried to get my mind off that train of thought. It would be of no use to ponder on it. At least I knew I would be okay to go into town. However, I had to find someone to feed from; my control wouldn't be able to last that long.

I didn't pay attention to where I was running, until it was too late. I was hit with a multitude of scents, none of them smelling anything like the humans I just left. It was much sweeter, but had a hint of spice underneath, warning of danger. It had to be vampires. And a lot of them.

I stopped in the middle of a meadow, deciding to wait, and see if they would approach me, or if I could sneak by. I lowered into a crouch instinctively, my hands digging into the hard earth beneath me. I suppressed the growl that was begging to be let out, knowing it would alert them to my location quicker.

I could tell they were getting closer, I could hear their feet hitting the ground; they were running. I could count five sets of footfalls, too many for me to take on alone. Shit. I haven't even been awake a day yet, and I'm looking danger straight in the face. I growled lowly before I could stop it, frustrated. Why the hell was the universe so pissed off at me? I must have really fucked up in a past life.

I came back out of my thoughts, noticing the group had disbanded, and moved to circle around the meadow. My hands dug deeper into the ground, I wouldn't go down without a fight.

Suddenly, a short vampire stepped out from the cover of the trees. She had long brown hair, and was dressed in a lengthy black cloak, the hood pushed down a type of crest on the front left of the cloak, where her heart should have been. She had an evil smile on her round, child-like face, and I got the feeling I should be in pain. I checked myself over mentally. Nope, no pain. This little midget of a vampire was going to have to try harder than that. "What, is that all you've got? Sorry, missy, I'm built a bit tougher than to waver at a smile, even as one as ugly as yours." I smirked.

Her face twisted in anger. "Do you even know who I am, newborn? You should be on your knees in front of me, begging me to spare your life." I shook my head no. Who the hell was this chick, telling me I should be on my knees? Whoever she was, her ego needed to be knocked down a couple hundred feet. "I'm Jane, of the Volturi. I could have killed you before you could have spoken a word. Luckily, for you, Aro knows who you are. Isabella, right? From the Cullen coven?"

Memories came flooding back to me. Edward. Alice. Jasper. Emmett. Rosalie. My second family who left me in the dust. Carlisle. Esme. My second set of parents. With those memories came the promise I made to Aro, to be changed before my nineteenth birthday. Well, sorry Aro, it happened a bit later, and under much different circumstances.

"Don't you dare associate me with those excuses of vampires. I wasn't changed by them. Don't call me one of them."

"Oh, I know exactly who you were changed by. Victoria was working for us. Well, partially for us, and partially for her. She went on and on about some kind of revenge for a mate…I didn't really pay attention. It worked out for us in the end. Surely you didn't think you were going to be able to get out of the deal you made with Aro?" Fucking Edward. He caused me more problems that what he was worth, especially after ditching my ass in Forks.

"Why are you here, then? I'm changed, the promise is fulfilled. Now, leave me alone."

She laughed, then. It was an annoying laugh. This midget was really getting on my nerves. She waved a hand, and the others came out from the cover of the forest. There were more than I counted, eight total. This was no visit to check on my humanity. Fuck.

"You're coming back to Volterra, Isabella. You're going to work for the guard. You didn't fulfill the promise in the time slot allowed. Therefore, it was nulled. We could have killed you. Be grateful that you get out this easily. If it were up to me, you would have been dead the day after your nineteenth birthday. Be glad Aro likes you." She said it with a cold detachment, making me shiver slightly.

The guard? No, I couldn't. Work for the corruption and greed that is the Volturi? I would have to try to fight. I couldn't just lie down and take this. I wouldn't. I didn't want to spend my time fighting their battles for them. I refuse.

The other eight rushed at me from different angles. Analyzing their paths, I jumped up and over, grabbing one of the guard's arms, and twisting it off his body. I tossed it aside, and turned, waiting for their next move.

They were clearly caught off guard by my actions, so I took advantage. I rushed the one already disabled, and kicked, kicking his feet out from under him. I caught his leg on its way up, grabbing and ripping it off at the kneecap. Another guard was running towards me, he was much bigger than the others were. Before I could react, he had my arm torn off, and had me in a submissive position, with his teeth at my neck.

Damn it. So much for fighting my way out of this.

"Are you done, now? It would be really inconvenient to cart you back to Volterra in this fashion. Although, if you still feel the need to fight, we can rip all of your limbs off, and shove you in a box. Choose, newborn." Jane's voice came cold and harsh from the other side of the meadow. So, she wasn't the fighting type. Figures.

I sighed. If I went willingly, it would probably turn out better for me in the end. Maybe I wouldn't have to serve as long, get out on good behavior or something.

"You have proven your strength. I won't fight anymore. I'll accept my fate willingly." My head was bowed, my tone solemn. I felt the man who was holding me down let up.

"I'm glad I didn't have to kill you. It would have been a shame to kill a lady as fine as yourself. My name is Felix, by the way." He stuck his hand out to shake. I tried to move to return the shake, it finally sinking in that my arm was torn off.

"Oh my god, will it grow back? Will I forever be without a right arm? Is it like a starfish? How long will it take?" I was panicking. I couldn't go through the rest of eternity missing my right arm. I was right handed for god's sake!

Felix laughed. "Calm down, Isabella. If you will hold still, I will reattach it for you." He grabbed my arm from where he tossed it, and began to cover the end that attached to my torso in venom. I looked at him skeptically.

"Just trust me. Now, this will hurt slightly, but it will be good as new in a minute." I nodded. With that, he pressed the end to my torso, and I could feel the nerves begin to fuse together again. There was pain, but it wasn't anything like the burn of the change. I winced slightly as it finished, and started to wiggle my fingers. Jane was looking on at the scene with a hint of amusement.

"Is it like a starfish? Will it grow back? God, did those Cullens ever tell you anything?" She seemed highly amused at my reaction.

"Oh, hush Jane. You can't tell me you had a cool head when you got your first arm ripped off."

She mumbled something too low for even us to hear, and then turned her back to us. "We should be on our way back to Volterra." She didn't wait for a response, and started running back towards Houston.

"Think you'll be alright to pass through Houston? Wouldn't want you to murder half the town before I could stop you. Although, that would be a really fun game of chase." He winked to show me he was joking.

"I think I'll be fine. As thirsty as I am, I had the control to stop mid-hunt before I ran into you guys, so I think I'll be okay." He seemed surprised.

"You stopped in the middle of a hunt? How far away did you stop? Were they right in front of you? They didn't notice you were different, did they?" He was firing questions at me too quickly for me to answer them.

"Yeah, they were maybe six meters in front of me. They were huddled around their little campfire; they had their little girl with them. I couldn't kill a child, and I couldn't just leave her there to fend for herself. They didn't even notice me." I finished with a feeling of pride. Maybe I could handle this being a vampire thing.

"Wow, I've never heard of a vampire being able to stop in the middle of hunting like that. You're gonna be an extraordinary vampire, Isabella." He threw an arm around my shoulders. Surprisingly, I was okay with the contact. I mean, I wouldn't ever date Felix, but he seemed like he would be an awesome person to hang out with.

"Uhm, Felix, you realize Jane and half of the guard left like, five minutes ago, right? I mean, its not that I'm eager to get to Volterra, or anything, but I really don't want to have to spend the time looking for Jane, either." I said her name with a tone of disgust. I really didn't like that midget of a vampire.

"Silly Isabella, I'm a tracker. She couldn't run away from me if she tried. I'd be able to find her no matter where she ran." With that, he took off running. That made sense; I was wondering why they weren't taking more precaution with me. I ran after him, not wanting to make any of them think I was going AWOL.

It took us no time to catch up to Jane and the rest of the guard; they were waiting for us just outside Houston.

"We will be passing through Houston, and then catching a plane at a little rural airport just on the other side of Houston. Think you will be okay?" Felix was the only one that felt the need to keep me informed. It was nice, being in the loop.

I nodded. "I'm sure I'll be fine. I feel like I can control myself." Felix just nodded, and turned to walk into town.

We passed through the suburban area easily, as most of the humans were still asleep. Once we got into the more populated area, though, it became more difficult.

"Felix…so…many…heartbeats…" I was clutching onto his arm for dear life. I couldn't tune them out. There were too many in one place. It was like an incessant humming in my ears.

"Jane…maybe we should let her hunt? I mean, she hasn't hunted since she woke up. She's shown excellent control this far, I don't think we should push it." Jane didn't look to keen on that idea. "Please, Jane?" Felix was pleading my case while I was focusing on not murdering half the town. How sweet of him.

Jane sighed. "She's not hunting. She would end up killing too many people." She looked towards one of the other guard members. "You, there. Find something for Isabella to drink. Don't waste any time."

The guy nodded, and took off, the rest of us moving into an alleyway, out of the way of normal foot traffic.

He was gone maybe five minutes, and then he returned, a man in his twenties in his arms. At that point, I didn't care that I had directly caused the end of this man's life. The guard member laid him down in front of me, then backed up. My instincts took over and I let out a savage growl, tearing into his neck. The flesh tore oh so easily against my teeth, the searing blood spilling into my cold mouth. I drank until the man was emptied, coming back to reality slowly.

"Are you good, now?" Felix asked, taking his place by my side again. He really was like a big brother.

I nodded. "What do I do now…?" I asked, feeling completely stupid.

"Demetri will take care of it." The same man as before stepped forward, picking up the body. At least I knew his name, now.

After Demetri returned, we continued to make our way across Houston, me much calmer.

We finally came to what I assumed was the little airport Felix had mentioned. It was made up of a small building, and two hangars that was placed a few hundred feet out.

Demetri went inside the building, carrying a folder of papers. "Flight plans," Felix said from behind me. "He's going to be our pilot." I nodded. That was convenient, having a pilot in the guard. Also, it was a lot less dangerous.

Jane walked towards one of the hangars, which I assumed housed the plane we would be taking. Demetri joined us a few minutes later, telling us that we were cleared for take-off, whenever we were ready. The plane was medium sized, nothing fancy marking it. I guessed that they were going for inconspicuous. How odd, I thought the Volturi were ones for flair.

We boarded, the inside of the plane as non-descript as the exterior. The seats were comfortable, though, and there was a bit more room inside, because there were less seats. Felix was the only one who sat near me, the rest of the guard, excluding Demetri of course, took seats in the back by Jane. So, this is how it was going to be. Yay for being the outcast. Again.

The flight to Volterra was uneventful, everyone staying quiet but Felix and I. He told me what he remembered of his life, before Aro turned him. He had a brother and a sister, whom he loved dearly. His mother died giving birth to his sister, them not having the type of technology that was available now, it was a common occurrence. He worked as an blacksmith until he was turned in 1610. Aro saw that he would be an extraordinary vampire, and decided to turn him. He was twenty four when Aro found him. He left his hometown of Chesapeake Bay, following Aro back to Volterra, and that's where he's been since.

I told him of what little story I had, skipping quickly over my relationship with Edward, focusing more on my childhood and college.

Before I knew it, we were descending, about to land in the outskirts of Volterra. I sighed. I didn't want to face Aro and the other two kings. I didn't want to be here. Was it so much to ask to live an eternity in peace, especially after all I've gone through?

I felt the wheels of the plane touch the ground again. Anger started flooding through me again. Why were they making me do this? This was idiotic. They were going to have to drag me in there.

And they did. Two guards picked me up and carried me into the city, and into the castle. They nodded to the woman who manned the front desk, and went on back. We came to a large set of doors. The Throne Room. Greedy bastards, of course they would have a throne room. The doors open, air rushing along my face from the inside of the chamber. Stale. It smells stale. I could smell dried blood in the air, too. Disgusting.

"Why, hello there Miss Swan. I see your change went well. May I ask how it happened?" Aro glided forward, trying to be friendly.

"Fuck you. You know damn well how this happened." I wasn't playing nice.

"Now, now, Isabella. That is _no _way to talk to your master." He slapped me hard across the face.

I recovered, looking him straight in the eye, and spit cold venom in his face.

He seemed unfazed, and slowly wiped his face clean. "So, it's going to be like this? I was hoping this would be easy. I suppose I was mistaken. You know you are in debt to us, Isabella. Why are you so reluctant to join us here? Have somewhere else to be?" That was a low blow. He knew damn well I had nowhere else to go.

"Why would I want to work for you? You're the definition of corruption and greed. Need proof? Look around, why the hell would you _need_ a throne room? A castle? An _entire city?_ Why would I want to help you achieve your goals? My time is _wasted_ here."

"Is that what you think? I'm sorry to hear that. But I'm afraid you have no choice. Well, allow me to rephrase that. You do have a choice. We could kill you, or you could serve in the guard. Choose." Aro clasped his hands in front of him.

Dying was not an option. There was something I had to do, somewhere. If I died, somewhere, someone would die because I did. It was an odd feeling I had.

"Fine. You win, Aro. I'll serve you." I bowed my head, a sign of submission.

"I'm pleased to hear that. Now that that's all settled," He clapped his hands together, the guards dropping me immediately. "Follow me." He lead me out of the Throne Room, and stopped in front of a set of doors. Felix soon appeared behind me, putting a hand on my shoulder. Aro threw open the set of doors.

"Welcome, Isabella."

I couldn't believe my eyes.

A/N: Yup. Another cliffhanger. Mwahaha. Btw, I know originally Felix was originally not a tracker, but I wrote myself into a corner, and I couldn't write myself out of it. So…Felix is now a tracker! Yay! Anyway, review, please. It's what makes me write. So, if you want more, tell me in a review!

~Blaize


	3. Chapter 3

The doors opened, revealing a beautiful bedroom. A fine oak dresser sat on one side, a four poster bed to the left. To the right, towards the back of the room, a door lead to what I assumed was the bathroom. In the middle of the room laying on the floor was a beautiful oriental rug. On top of the rug stood none other than the Cullens.

Well, the majority of the Cullens. Jasper was missing. I wonder where Jasper was…

"Hello, my love. I see your change went well." Edward had the balls to speak first. How unlucky of him.

"Went well? Love? Did you really just call me your love? Don't speak to me. _Don't even look at me._" I was fuming. All those years of pent up anger were finally going to be released. Thank god.

"But, Isabella I…"

"Don't you fucking dare say love you."

"But…I do. What I did, I did for you, to protect you! Can't you see? I would never put you in danger, even if it meant I had to leave. I still love you, Isabella, my mate." His voice was raised a few octaves, he seemed like he really believed it.

"Well, sorry, buddy. You're love is unreturned, I'm not your mate. I've moved on, and so should you. All of you should. How dare you show up now that 'Bella the human' is gone, and 'Isabella the vampire' took her place? How dare you think you all can just waltz into my life, thinking that if you choose to reappear, your presence would be welcomed."

Rose snorted. "Fine. I didn't want you back in the family, anyway. It's no skin off my nose if you decide to hole up in this castle for the rest of eternity. Have fun." With that, she brushed past me and walked out of the room. Damn. Too bad she didn't stick around, it would have been fun to fight with her.

Edward was standing silent, his head in his hands. "What happened to Jasper, just out of curiosity?" I asked as Alice stepped forward.

"I left him. He was making…poor choices. I wasn't meant to be with him any longer."

"I'm…sorry to hear that." I couldn't imagine what Jasper could be doing that would make Alice leave him, even if he was feeding from humans. How odd…

Carlisle stepped forward. "Isabella, I extend my apologies to you for leaving you in Forks. We only did what we thought was best for you, and we see now that we were gravely mistaken. It is our fault you're in the mess you are in now, and we are very sorry. I know it will take time for you to even consider forgiving us, but I hope one day I am able to call you my daughter again. We have all missed you dearly."

Emmett nodded. "I miss my little sister. I miss kicking her ass at Call of Duty. Please, think about forgiving us. It's not like we had much choice. Eddie wouldn't listen to us, he pretty much packed all of us up, and carried us out. He wouldn't let us get in contact with you either, for the past four years. I'm sorry, little sis." He looked like he would be crying if he could.

It was Esme's turn to talk. "Isabella, dear, please, try to forgive us. We love you like you're our own…and…and…" She started sobbing, and ran forward to hug me. I couldn't deny her at least that. I wrapped my arms around her, her sobbing into my shoulder.

"Shhh…I'll try, Esme. I can't promise how soon, but I'll try." Her sobs let up then, her eyes shining with tears that would never fall.

"Well, as touching as this little family reunion has been, I do believe Isabella needs to begin her training." Aro said, interrupting the moment.

"Training…?" I was suddenly wary. I was horrible at anything athletic as a human, and I didn't really want to be humiliated in front of the entire guard, or even part of the guard, for that matter.

"Yes. Training. Surely you didn't think my guard is the best by chance, hmm? Since you no longer grow tired, the whole process should take around a week. After all of that, then you will be formally initiated and given your cloak, your rank to be determined by your performance during training. If you do poorly, you will start out at the bottom. It's proportional from there. So don't think that if you slack off during training, that you can get out of this, Isabella. We can always use someone, even if it is just as a body."

Damn. There went that idea. I nodded. "Alright. Where do I go?" Aro smiled then. "Just follow me, Isabella." He turned and walked away, and I turned to say goodbye to the Cullens for an unknown amount of time. "Goodbye, Isabella. We will visit again when you are finished with your training." Carlisle said as he waved goodbye. I nodded my head slightly, and turned to follow Aro.

He lead me out into and empty courtyard, stopping just on the outskirts of it. "Go on, Isabella. Who ever is in charge of your training will be here shortly. Just wait in the courtyard." With that, he turned to leave. I walked forward, not really paying attention to anything. My mind was on Jasper…

As soon as I reached the middle of the warm, circular courtyard, I was ambushed. Three vampires came out of nowhere, attacking me. I tried the best I could to defend myself, my left arm and two fingers of my right hand being ripped off in the process. I took down one of the three guards, before someone was at my neck.

"Stop! Kill." The deep bass voice above me yelled. Immediately, the attack ceased, all of them waiting for further instruction. The man stood, helping me to my feet. I didn't need it, but it was a nice gesture.

"First lesson, _never let your guard down._ One part of your brain should be constantly on the look out for danger. I could have easily killed you. I will _not stand for that. _I don't lose my men…err…women, I refuse. You_ will_ learn. Or die trying." His voice was commanding, loud.

Wow. This man was intense. He had dark brown, curly hair, it nearly covering his deep crimson eyes. He was a normal build, but you could tell he was dangerous, one not to be messed with. He gave off that sort of aura. He could be considered attractive, if he wasn't trying to kill you.

He stuck out his hand. "My name is Zayden, and I'm the one in charge of your training. If you fuck up, it's on me. Shit rolls downhill, so try not to fuck up, or you're going to go through hell to pay for it." I shook his hand after my arm and hand were done repairing.

"I'm Isabella, but you already know that." He nodded.

"Enough pleasantries. I'll get to know you after you can kick my ass. We will begin training with close combat. There are four parts of your hand that can be used as weapons. The fist, the edge of your hand, palm, and your fingers. Use your fist to attack softer tissue areas like the throat. Use the edge of your hand to block, or also strike soft to hard tissue areas. The palm can also be used to block, or to strike. The fingers can be used to rip, gouge, and tear skin." He was pacing as he said this.

"On to forearms. They can be used to deflect or block attacks. Forearms can also be used to strike to damage or break an opponents joints and limbs, which can then be torn off. Elbows are also excellent for striking."

He went on to detail what parts of the body were best suited to which attack, then went into detailing specific attacks. He taught me how to use an opponents momentum against them, and how to throw them off balance.

"Think you're ready to try it, Isabella?" He said an hour later.

I nodded. "I'll try, sir!" He smiled, then.

"There is no try, only do and do not!" He took a fighting stance then, waiting for me to attack.

I took a moment to analyze which attack would best fit, and went to kick him in the ribs. He then grabbed my leg, almost ripping it off before I jumped, kicking his neck with my left leg, managing to land in a crouch on the ground. He smiled as a few pieces of his neck shattered off.

"Excellent, Isabella!" He said as he too dropped into a crouch. He then rushed to attack me, his hands out to grab my throat. I grabbed his forearm with one hand, his wrist with the other, and used his arm to grapple and throw him behind me; him landing hard on the ground with a thud. He picked himself up, still smiling.

He then stood, and I copied his movements. He stalked forward, getting into close range. "Now, I want to just focus on punches and kicks. And blocking, of course." With that, he took a fighting stance again, his fists in front of him.

I feinted a kick to his knees, his focus going to that attack, while I punched him in the gut, knocking the unneeded breath out of him. He recovered quicker than I expected, and threw a punch to my ribs, and I doubled over in pain. He then grabbed my neck, signifying a kill.

"Damn…it…" I muttered through the pain. It was beginning to ease up.

"Never let the pain get to you!_ Learn to think around the pain._" With that, he promptly ripped my right arm off.

"What the hell? Why the fuck did you do that?" I reared back to punch him. He caught my punch, and ripped the hand off. Then, he knocked me off balance, ripping my leg off at the kneecap. I promptly fell to the ground, moaning in pain. There, he ripped off the rest of my limbs.

"_You __**will**__ learn pain tolerance. _I will not stand for any of my cadets to be killed because they got punched in the ribcage. The pain will get worse the longer your limbs are unattached. Take this time to get acquainted with pain. Learn to love it. I'll be back tomorrow." With that, he and the other guards walked out, leaving me by myself.

Fuck, he took my limbs with him. I tried to curl into a ball on the ground; trying to hold myself together. The pain was steadily increasing, how did he expect me to think around this pain? Was it even possible? I didn't think it was.

The first three hours weren't so bad. The pain hurt, of course, but it was bearable. There was venom dripping out of my wounds, but there was nothing I could do about it. As the fourth hour rolled around, the pain grew exceedingly worse, and I couldn't think around it. It was at the forefront of my mind, I couldn't even keep track of the time. I kept hearing screaming, realizing later that it was me who broke out in screams. My sanity was waning, I couldn't move my torso at all without my limbs. I sobbed, feeling abandoned, feeling like no one was going to come back and save me from this hell.

I didn't know how much later, but at one point I realized I had stopped feeling. It was gone, I couldn't feel anything. I was numb, the pain ceased. I knew, subconsciously, that it was still there; my limbs were still ripped off. My brain just ceased to recognize it. I closed my eyes, and started to think. I realized I was thirsty. I needed to hunt. I hope they will let me hunt after this.

I thought about random, idle things until I heard the approach of footsteps. I opened my eyes, realizing I was face-down. I growled loudly, menacingly, trying to ward off anyone who meant danger, since I was unable to protect myself.

"Calm down, Isabella. It's me, Zayden. I have your arms and legs." I ceased growling, I didn't want to piss him off and him decide I could wait another day.

"I see you've learnt. Good. I would have hated to leave you here another day. But I would have gotten over it." He said as he fused my arms and legs back to my torso. I had a newfound respect for Zayden, he was tough. He was perfect for his job.

"Now, you should be able to move. Can you?" I wiggled my fingers and toes, and flexed my arms.

"Yes, sir. I'm able to move. I have a request, if I may ask, sir." I said as I stood.

"Go on, cadet." He crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"I need to hunt, sir. The removal of my limbs has left me thirsty."

"Request denied. You must learn how to go without. Meals will not always be accessible, nor will there always be time to feed. You must learn to fight hungry, cadet."

I nodded, I would not question him. There was no use in it.

He smiled. "You've improved. I'm glad to see it, Isabella."

I smiled, and nodded. I wanted to do well; wanted to be promoted because I did well. I wanted to make Zayden proud of me. I had done a complete 360 since my first day here. I guess writhing in pain for twenty four hours can do that to you. Maybe serving in the guard wouldn't be so bad, after all.

"The next part of your training will not be held here. We need more room. Follow me." He turned and walked back inside the castle, leading me through the maze of corridors. We went outside, to what I assumed was behind the castle. Zayden started running then, into the forest that resided there. I followed without question, trusting him.

We came to a large clearing, where what looked like dummies were set up.

"Here, you will be trained in the weaponry our engineers have created. There are only a few, and they are only used in dire circumstances, when there is a doubt of our success." He then pulled a few gadgets out of the backpack I didn't notice he was carrying.

"You can never tell anyone outside of the guard about these. They are a Volturi secret, if the general population got a hold of these, it would be all out warfare. It is imperative this information never leave Volterra, and they are _only _to be used on missions approved by Aro. Anyone who sees us use them _must be killed._ Do you understand, Isabella?" His tone made it obvious he was not joking around.

"Yes, sir, I understand. I won't speak of them." He nodded, and began to explain the little weapons.

"This knife is the only thing is able to cut through our skin. It is made out of polished vampire teeth, pressed into a blade." To demonstrate, he sliced his finger, venom immediately starting to drip out. Then, he turned, hurling the knife towards the dummies, the blade sticking in it's stomach fully.

"See? Pierces right through." He walked up and pulled the knife out. I swore I saw the dummy twitch.

"Uhm…Zayden…Those are dummies, right…?" Surely if they could manufacture a knife to cut through our skin, they could create dummies with our qualities…right?

He laughed. "No, of course not. They're prisoners sentenced to death. One of the guards has the power to knock vampires out, and that's why they're mostly immobile."

I'm sure I got paler. "Is that…ethical? Aren't they in pain?"

He laughed again. "Ethical? Who cares? All that matters is your training. You're going to have to get used to killing vampires, anyway." With that, he moved on to the next weapon. "This, is similar to what the humans call a flamethrower. This just doesn't require a tank full of gas. Don't ask me how it works, I don't know. All I know is this can wipe out _armies_ of vampires at once." With that, he pulled the trigger of the gun like object, and flame came shooting out about three meters in front of him. "See? Now you try it." With that, he handed it to me. I looked at the 'dummies' warily. "Isabella, kill him. Now." I couldn't. I'm not a killer. "Isabella, do you want to spend another day limbless? Only, this time you'll be contemplating your disobedience. Now, I believe I issued the order of his death, now _move, cadet."_ His voice got that commanding tone again, and I switched my brain off, not thinking about the lives I was ending. I walked forward, stopping three meters in front of the nearest 'dummy'. I pulled the trigger, the body going up in flames at once. I turned, and handed the gun back to Zayden.

"Very good, Isabel. Now, practice with the knives." He gestured to several more of the knives that were laying on the ground. "Practice slicing, chopping, stabbing, and throwing."

I got the hang of it quickly, getting to the point to where I was able to hit the same spot over and over again. After a while of this, I moved on to slicing, the knife feeling natural in my hand. I got to the point to where there was no where left to slice, the victims body covered in cuts. Zayden nodded his approval, and I moved on to the next victim, practicing my chopping. I was able to chop off all of the limbs quickly, Zayden looking impressed. I then practiced stabbing, getting the hang of that quickly also.

Zayden clapped. "Very well done, Isabel. I've never seen anyone get it so quickly. I'm proud. Most vampires find using weaponry awkward." I smiled, happy he was proud of me.

"At this rate, you'll probably finish up with training sooner than expected." He said as he packed up the weapons.

"Really? And what happens after training, after I become 'official'?" I asked as we started walking towards the castle.

"Well, you'll probably go on your first mission, with a couple of experienced guard members, depending on the rank you end up receiving. It wouldn't surprise me if you got promoted pretty high. You're doing really well, Isabel, especially for how young you are. You seemed to have skipped right over the newborn stage. Which is really convenient for the Volturi; I don't know what they were going to do if you were like a normal newborn, all blood crazy and shit."

"Yeah, I don't know why I did. It's not like I was really prepared or anything."

"Well, it does no good questioning it, just be glad it happened." He held the door open for me as we were walking back into the castle.

"So, what next?"

"More sparring, I think is be in order. But uneven. Maybe two or three against one. You need to get used to those types of situations."

I nodded. "I'm up for anything, sir. Then again, it wouldn't matter if I wasn't." I laughed slightly.

He laughed also, although much more than I did. We reached the courtyard where the previous training took place, two guards waiting for us there. I became wary, I didn't like the idea of this.

"You can handle this, Isabel. I wouldn't put you in a situation you couldn't handle. Believe in yourself." I nodded and took a fighting stance.

Zayden and another guard began to circle me, trying to find weak spots. I circled, too, keeping them both within my sight at all times. The other guard attacked first, rushing towards me, his fists still up. I grabbed one of his arms, throwing him into Zayden, who was about to rush me, too. The both of them rolled backward, tumbling over each other. Taking advantage of the momentary confusion, I leaped, landing on the other guards back, gripping the back of his neck to signify a kill. I picked him up, and threw him to the other side of the courtyard, getting him out of the way for the fight between Zayden and I.

Zayden picked himself up and started punching me, a few of them landing, knocking little shards of skin off. I didn't even wince at the pain, and tried to fight back. Then, he jumped, and landed behind me, and bit down on my shoulder, his teeth sinking into my skin. I pulled away, the chunk of skin ripping off. I shook myself mentally, and turned, facing Zayden. I feinted left, really going right, and bit down on the right side of his torso, taking a hunk out of him.

He inhaled through his teeth. "You don't know what you're messing with, little girl." With that, he rushed at me, and I stepped quickly to the right, then pounced on his back, my teeth bared at his neck.

"I think you underestimate me, Zayden." I playfully nipped at his neck, and hopped off.

The two guards clapped, then, impressed. Zayden stood up and mumbled, dusting himself off. "Three on one, then."

That fight ended the same as the previous, the two guards being defeated quickly, and Zayden and I sparring until I finally got the kill.

"No recruit has ever beaten me that quickly. I'm astounded, Isabel. Especially in that type of match." I smiled.

"Well, what next?"

"Uhm…obedience training. That's it. After that, you're done."

"Alright then…"

He shook his head, trying to get back into the zone.

"So…what do we do?"

He slapped me, hard. "You do not speak to your commanding officer out of turn. Nor do you question him. Do you understand?" He got serious, quickly.

"Yes, sir." I mumbled.

"What was that, cadet? I didn't hear you. Speak up, you will speak audibly when spoken to."

"Yes, sir." I said louder.

"Good. When you see one of the kings, you _will_ drop to your knees, and bow your head. They are your sole masters. You do not look them in the eye. You obey their every wish. If they say to walk into a pyre, you will walk, no questions asked. Disobedience will lead to the punishment you received earlier, or torture. Do you understand, cadet?"

"Yes."

"Yes, what? You will address me as sir when you speak to me!" He slapped me again, splinters of my cheek flying.

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."

He nodded. "You will accept any mission the kings give you, again with no questions asked. You will complete it in a timely manner, to the specifics given. Anything done wrong, and punishment will be given. Do you understand everything I have said, cadet?" He crossed his arms.

"Yes, sir, I understand everything."

He nodded. "Good. Your training is complete then. Congratulations." He shook my hand.

"Wait here while I go find Aro." His tone was different than before, indicating I didn't have to call him 'sir' anymore.

"Alright then."

As he wandered off, I finally noticed the two guards from before had left. Good. I didn't necessarily want them to see that.

Zayden came back a few minutes later. "They want to see you in the throne room, Isabel. This is it." He seemed excited for me. I wish I could be excited about this.

We stopped out in front of the doors. "Ready?" Zayden asked, as I took a deep breath. I nodded.

He opened the doors, then, walking in front of me. I followed closely behind, keeping my head bowed. Zayden veered off to the left, leaving me directly in front of Aro, Caius, and Marcus. I dropped to my knees immediately, my head still bent.

"Well, well, well. Isn't this an improvement. And in only three days, too. Yes, you're going to be quite the vampire, Isabella. Quite a force to be reckoned with." I kept quiet as he touched he back of my neck, trying to read my memories.

"Hmm. Interesting. I still can't get a reading. I think you need to look more into that, Isabella. Can't have you keeping thoughts from me, now can we?"

I shook my head. "Absolutely not, sir. I'm not doing it intentionally, sir."

"Master. You will address me, and my other two brothers as your master, as we are such. Did Zayden not go over this with you?"

Before I could answer, Zayden spoke up. "I believe I forgot to tell her what to address you as, master. I'm sincerely sorry. I was still slightly shaken that she was able to best me and two other guard members at the same time."

Aro raised his eyebrows. "Wow, that's quite a feat. Zayden here is _one_ of my best. I'm impressed, Isabella."

"Thank you, master."

"Well, on to your initiation." He picked up a dark grey cloak from a table, the Volturi crest prominent on the shoulder. "From this moment on, you, Isabella Marie Swan, will now be a high member of the Volturi guard. You will serve the Volturi until you are released by me. You will obey all of my, and your senior officers commands, without question. You will be the bringer of justice when we are unable to be there. You now belong to me." With that, he bit the spot where my throat meets my collarbone. I felt the pain, but didn't react.

"Stand, Isabella, so I may put the cloak on you."

I stood, and he flung the cloak over my shoulders, clasping it in the front. He pulled the hood up, concealing my face.

I bowed to Aro. "You are dismissed, everything you need is in your room, clothing, shampoo, everything. You will be called when we need you. I suggest training with that mental shield of yours." With that, Zayden, and the three kings walked out of the room, into a side door.

I walked back to my room in a daze. Once inside, I took off and tossed my cloak onto my bed, and went into the bathroom.

It wasn't until I was done showering that it finally sunk in.

I'm a High member of the Volturi guard.

A/N: Yeah, I know, its really long. But I wanted to get Bellas training over with. So, what do you guys think? Jasper will be along before long, I promise! By the way, the majority of the close combat stuff was taken out of the Marine close combat manual, so, its not mine. Nor are any of the characters, except Zayden. I realize her training was exceptionally short, but I couldn't really come up with anything else to train her in…so, sorry about that. ^^;

-Blaize


	4. Chapter 4

I stepped out of the shower, the air warm from the steam. It was nice to finally have a few moments to myself, it felt like forever since I was living in my dorm at college, just trying to survive. I backtracked through the days; it had only been a little over a week ago, including the change. I wondered what my story was, since I was probably reported missing by now. Were my parents looking for me? What about the few friends I had? Did anyone care that I was essentially dead, never to see them again?

I shook the thoughts out of my head. It was of no use lingering on them. They wouldn't get me anywhere. I wrapped a towel around myself, and walked into my new room.

It was then that I realized I didn't have any clean clothes, and the pair of clothes I had been wearing hardly fit me after my change, not to mention they were ripped in multiple places from training. I panicked, I couldn't just go wandering throughout the castle in a towel, searching for clothes. Maybe I could put on my cloak and no one would notice…It was then that I heard a knock on my door.

"Uhm, who is it?" I asked, my voice shaky. Wow, I'm probably the first vampire to be scared of a visitor, inside the Volturi castle. I sighed at my stupidity. It's not like I'm going to get killed here.

"Zayden said you might need some clothes, I have an outfit for you." The voice sounded nice, like wind chimes in the summer breeze.

"Oh, alright. Uhm…I can't say I'm decent, can you just leave them outside? I'll grab them in a minute. I only have a towel on."

"Oh, that's fine. It's nothing I haven't seen before." The handle turned.

"Really, I…" The door was already open, a medium built woman breezing inside. She had long, black hair, her skin the normal paleness, but you could tell, as a human, she was tan. Her eyes had a spark in them, she was intelligent far beyond her years. She radiated friendliness, she was someone you could count on to have your back.

"Uhm…Alright then, never mind." The woman set the clothes on my bed, then turned to leave.

"My name is Raine. I look forward to getting to know you. I think we will get along quite well. I hope you will come find me, when you feel like talking. I know that moving into the castle can be an overwhelming experience, and especially since you joined the guard at the same time. If you need anything at all, just ask." After her speech, she flashed a sweet smile, then left, shutting the door behind her.

"Well, that was unexpected…" I muttered under my breath. I had fully expected to serve my time here alone; I didn't expect anyone to try to befriend me. Hell, the first person I really met here jumped off a roof and attacked me, I couldn't have expected much.

I dressed slowly, concentrating on not ripping the one set of clothes I had. I would have to fix that, but I didn't know how. Would I get paid for being in the guard? I mean, the human military got paid, why shouldn't we? I had basic necessities I needed to take care of, and clothes were for sure a basic necessity. I needed to ask Aro about that. But how could I? It's not like I could just waltz in and start asking for money. I touched the bite mark subconsciously, trying to figure out a way I could find out without seeming too terribly idiotic.

After I put on the t-shirt and jeans, I went to find Raine. She seemed like she wouldn't judge me for asking.

After getting lost in the maze of hallways, I finally found a door leading out to a courtyard. I picked up her scent, then, she was sitting in one of the castles' gardens. She was sitting in the middle of the ornate garden, next to a small pond, watching the waterfall.

I hadn't thought this through. I'm not the type of person who just wanders up to someone, and starts talking to them. Maybe I should just go back to my room, and wait for Aro to summon me.

I turned to leave, when she spoke from behind me. "Please, don't be shy. Come, sit with me. I would enjoy the company. Everyone's out for Aro, I haven't had anyone to chat with today." I heard her lightly pat the spot next to her on the rock she was sitting on.

"Are…Are you sure? I mean, I don't want to bother you…" She laughed lightly.

"I promise you, you're no bother at all. And I'm absolutely sure you have questions. It's not like you woke up to this life with people around you to help you understand everything that has changed. Come, sit." I hesitated, warring with myself in my head. Should I get attached to people here? I was hoping to not have to spend too much time in this godforsaken place, it would make it easier to leave if I didn't have friends.

Finally deciding I would at least ask her my question, I went and sat down next to her.

"Sorry for barging in on you earlier. Although, you might want to get used to that. Around here, doors are only there as a _semblance_ of privacy. People will come barging in at any time, so you might want to make sure you're usually decent." She turned and winked at me, making the conversation lighter.

I laughed softly. "I'll have to remember that. Speaking of clothes, well, this is awkward to ask…" I drifted off. I turned to look at her, I had her full attention.

"How am I going to pay for that? I mean, do we get paid, because I'm assuming Aro isn't going to let us just wander out into the public and get a job. And it's not like I had any real money when I was human…I was just a college student, trying to get by." I looked down to the ground, mildly embarrassed about my question.

She smiled softly. "Did no one tell you? That bank card that you received when you first arrived here has access a bank account that the guard members share. Seeing as how you're a High guard, you might be on a different account, but the idea is the same. You don't need to worry about money. Aro knows you need clothes, shampoo, the necessities. He doesn't check the records though, so if you wanted to go out and have a little fun…" She winked then. "There's enough money in there for no one to notice if you took out a couple of million. And, even then, no one would probably care. I can't believe no one told you…"

Well, that was a relief, although I don't remember getting a card when I got here... "I don't remember ever getting a card. Then again, they had to literally carry me to the Throne Room, so that might be the problem. And I'm not sure I should go into town yet, I mean, I'm not sure if I have the control for it. I've only been a vampire for a week, I don't want to murder the entire town."

She laughed again. "Dear, the simple fact that you're sitting here, having a civil conversation with me, and not trying to tear me apart proves you have magnificent control. Didn't you pass through a town in the Americas to get on the plane here? How did that go? And I'm sure all we have to do is ask the girl at the front desk for your card, it's probably sitting there, waiting for you."

I nodded. "It was okay, until we got into the denser populated area. I was about to attack, if Demitri hadn't gotten me something to eat. But after that, I was okay."

"Well, it sounds like all you need to do is make sure you're well-fed. Speaking of which, dear, your eyes are little pieces of coal. How about we take you hunting for your first time?"

As soon as she spoke of it, my thirst came to the forefront of my mind. My throat erupted into fire, and I coughed, even though I knew it wouldn't help. I merely nodded, afraid if I opened my mouth the growl I was suppressing would be let loose.

I didn't know how we were going to mange to hunt, and me not taking out the entire villa surrounding the castle. She just took my hand, and started running into the forest, away from the castle.

I kept up speed, not breathing, for fear of running into a human. Suddenly, we stopped in a small meadow, the moon shining brightly above. I looked up, and gasped in awe at the sight. I could see so much clearer. The moon was absolutely beautiful, framed by little pinpricks of stars. I couldn't help but feel like there was someone looking up at the same scene as I was.

Raine smiled, and tugged at my arm slightly. "Focus, Isabella. Take a deep breath. Smell anything by chance?" I had barely inhaled, and I smelt it. Humans, about a hundred meters to my northwest. There were probably two, maybe three, judging by the different scents. I could feel the conscience part of my brain switch off, and my instincts kick in. I dropped Raines hand, and took off towards the delicious smell.

I came upon a small campsite, the one large tent facing southwest. There was one heartbeat coming from inside the tent, and I could see two adults sitting on the ground, a little way away from the tent. Good. I could silence the two outside, then take care of the one in the tent, without a problem. I circled around so I would catch the two outside from behind, and not give them the chance to see who was coming to end their life. As soon as I was out of their sight, I charged forward silently, grabbing the backs of their necks and crushing them in the same second. Their brain wouldn't have recognized anything happened until they were dead. The person in the tent was more tricky, though, as there was only one way into the tent. I shrugged, its not like he could fend me off. I ran straight into the tent, the man inside letting out a yell before I could silence him. There wasn't anyone around out here, so his screams went unheard. I drug the body outside, to where the other two were. I sliced through one of their necks with my teeth, the blood inside pouring quickly over my lips. The burn was cooled immediately, but the blood ran out too quickly. Frustrated, I growled and tossed the limp, empty body to the side, and moved on to the next. He too, ran out quickly, and I moved on to the last woman. Halfway through, I could tell the burn was sated, but I like the taste of the blood, so I didn't stop until she was empty also.

Looking around, I realized I had torn up the tent in my hurry to get inside, and I didn't know how I should get rid of the bodies. Spotting the small campfire a little outside the tent, I got an idea. I put the bodies inside the tent, as if they were sleeping, and then got a branch to set the tent on fire. Once the tent was unrecognizable, I put the fire out so it didn't spread, and went to find Raine.

She was perched on a boulder, examining her nails, looking like she had been waiting for me for a while. "Sorry I took so long."

She shook her head. "It's fine, dear. It was your first real hunt. To be honest, I was expecting you to take a little longer. It's no big deal, so long as you're full." She smiled at me.

I nodded. "Yes, I'm full." With that, she hopped off of the boulder.

"Oh, good. The sun is rising. The shops around Volterra should be opening soon, then. Want to go shopping today, dear?"

Shrugging, I replied "It doesn't matter to me. Although, I probably need something to change into after I take a shower." She took my hand then.

"Shopping it is."

On the way back to the castle, I asked where everyone else was.

"They're all out on missions for Aro. Some are in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. North America, to be exact."

"Oh? Why are they in North America?"

"Do you know about the Vampire Wars in Mexico and Texas?" I faintly remembered Edward saying something about Jasper and the Wars…

"Not really. Why?" She then went on to explain when the Wars were at it's peak, and how everything was getting a bit out of hand down there now.

"Aro sent someone to assassinate Maria, the leader of the army, and a Jasper Whitlock if they could get to him. Apparently, he is back down there, fighting as Maria's second. But, Maria was the priority. They were instructed not to look for Whitlock."

Surely they didn't kill him. Jasper is smarter than that, he would run. He would save himself. Wouldn't he? Unless him and Maria were involved…

Surely they weren't though. Right?

The rest of the walk back to the castle was spent in silence, me silently pleading for Jasper to have made it out alive. Why did I care so much about this one Cullen? I supposed I just didn't want to see anyone I knew, anyone I once called family killed.

Yes. That was the reason I was going to go with.

JPOV:

"Damn it. You stupid fucking newborn. Why the fuck would you take off his leg? Are you fucking stupid? He will be beside you in battle, do you think he will remember that? You can bet your sparkly ass he will. This probably cost you your life, I hope you fucking realize that. I should kill you now, to save him the trouble." I picked the idiot up by his collar, my teeth at his neck.

"P…Please Major Whitlock, please don't kill me, I swear, I didn't mean to, he was just so close, and I was just so mad and I…" He was begging for his life. I loved it when they begged. I smiled an evil smile.

"And why the fuck should I spare you? You're replaceable. Don't think for a minute you're something special. Disposable. Just another body. Yet you beg for your life? What incentive do I have to spare you? You've proven you can't fucking think through your god damn actions, I don't need that on the battlefield. I don't need _you_ on the battlefield." With that, I sliced through his neck. I didn't need him. There was no one I needed. Except her. I needed her more than I needed blood. And I needed that pretty damn bad right now. There was no way I could see her, I had no idea where she was, so I tossed the body roughly to the ground.

"Lopez!" I barked. He was in front of me in a second, waiting eagerly for orders. "Dispose of it." I pointed to the beheaded body on the ground. "You know how to do it."

Lopez shouted out an obedient 'Yes, Sir!' as I stalked away. I needed a break from these idiots Maria made me bring in. Shouldn't we be building an army of at least semi-intelligent vampires? These couldn't bite their way out of a human. I shook my head to clear it; I would leave all thoughts of the army, with the army.

I walked out of the camp, the two guards letting me by immediately. Of course, it wouldn't be so easy for any of the others to just walk out. I had privileges like that. It was one of my conditions to coming back to Maria and the Southern Wars. I was surprised myself when I ran into her, literally, while trying to get away from those fucking Cullens. I had long since thought that the Wars had died out, a victor crowned, and the entire deal settled. I was dead wrong. The Wars are going on stronger than when I left. To be frank, I'm amazed the Volturi haven't stepped in. I would have to make myself scarce when that happened. I couldn't get myself killed.

By the time I came to from my thoughts, I was in town. I inhaled deeply, the scent of human circling around my brain, making my thoughts hazy. This must be what humans feel like when they're drunk, I thought idly.

Did I want to hunt, or recruit? I needed someone to replace the idiot I killed, but, I didn't really want to mess with the screaming and crying. No, recruitment would be left up to Maria.

With that cleared up, I started strolling up and down the street. There were plenty of chances for me to take what was mine, but I felt uneasy. Something was pulling me back to the woods, beckoning me to lose myself in the branches and cover of the forest. Finally, the pull got the best of me, and I tore through the city, using the rooftops to conceal myself. Once in the woods, I maneuvered the trees easily, arriving to a meadow in a matter of minutes. The feeling stopped. That was when I smelt it.

The Volturi had been here.

I would recognize their scent anywhere. Dried blood, and the smell of a really old book. Of course, there were personal flairs of the individual guard members, Jane, Demitri, and Felix I recognized. It seemed like Aro and the rest of the kings weren't here, though. That was a relief.

But then raised the question, why were they here in the Americas, in Houston? Surely they weren't watching the Wars…

Were they?

If they were, I needed to report back to Maria. Quickly. Hell, for all I know, they could already fucking be there, setting fire to the compound.

That idea spurred me into action, and I tore, once again, through the forest. I noticed, after a few yards, their scent veered towards town, but a newer, fresher scent kept going towards the compound. Fuck.

I ran into the compound, relieved to see it still standing, to see those stupid, useless newborns milling about the yard. I rushed up to someone who was watching over the newborns in my absence. "Maria! Where is she?" I said quickly, with an edge in my voice. The fresher scent had gone around the compound, to the back, where Maria's tent usually was.

"I…I think she's in her tent. Have you checked there? If she isn't there…" I ran off, not letting whoever I was talking to finish their sentence. There wasn't anyone guarding her door, which was odd. Not spending any time on the thought, I opened the door. Nothing could have prepared me for what I found.

Maria was reduced to a pile of ashes.

However they set her on fire, it was quick and containable. Nothing else showed any signs of fire. I walked fully into the room, and kicked what used to be Maria, just to make sure it was real. I recognized a scrap of the blouse she was wearing today, singed on one side, proving that the ashes were indeed hers.

I mourned briefly for my sire, partially mulling over how I was going to handle the mess she left me with. How could I tell the newborns, hell, the officers that their maker was killed, right under their noses, by the Volturi?

I would just have to tell them. It's not as if they would be able to argue that I was now in charge. Everyone knew I was second in command, the only problem would be the fighting over who my second would be. I knew who I would choose immediately, but he wasn't a fan favorite.

Putting my thoughts back to the task at hand, I brushed her ashes into a bowl that was on her dresser with a broom, and went into the woods outside.

I walked, instead of ran, to a small lake in a meadow nearby. I poured her ashes in the water, just like she had once asked me to. I figured it was the least I could do for her, for providing for me when I wasn't in the right frame of mind. I thought back on our relationship, which was nothing but platonic. She was more like a sister to me, one who I could talk to when things got rough. She wouldn't judge me, even when I came back to her with yellow eyes and a heavy heart. She looked over the fact that I had abandoned her, and put me back in my old position. It was like I finally knew who I was again, being in the thick of battle, issuing orders, working towards a goal. I would never be able to thank her enough for showing me who I really was again.

I turned away from the lake, and found my way easily back to camp in the pitch blackness of night. I figured that now was as good of a time than any, and went up to the guard at the entrance of the compound.

"Yes, sir?" The guard, who I forgot his name, asked.

"I want everyone, and I mean _everyone_ out in the commons area in ten minutes. Attendance is mandatory, don't let anyone out to hunt or otherwise."

The guard nodded, and went off to inform the others. I decided to kill the little time I had in my tent. It was a rather large tent, with a cot I would never sleep on, and small tables with mementos perched atop them. I sat down on my cot, and put my head in my hands. I would have never thought I would have found myself in this position. How do I tell these newborns their creator, the sole person they looked up to, worked for, was killed? How do I keep them from rebelling, and overthrowing me? The sheer numbers were not on my side, so if they decided to attack, I would be dead. Granted, I would go down with one hell of a fight, and probably take a couple dozen with me, but down I would go.

I picked my head up, and looked around my tent. On the table, next to my bed, was a picture of Alice and I. Alice was wearing her signature designer clothes, her hair spiked up in a way that looked deadly if you happened to touch it. Her arms were around my waist, and she was laughing at Emmett, who was behind the camera. I was dressed in slacks and a polo, which looked odd on me. Nevertheless, I was smiling down at Alice, happy because she was happy.

Bitch.

Little did she know that her leaving me would set forth the vision she had strived so hard to maneuver around. Little did she know that leaving me would send me straight in the arms of Maria, back to my red eyes and cold heart. She believed she was suffocating me, which she was, and that eventually it would cause me to do something rash. Like run off and kill a human. Which would set off the memories from my 'past life', and I would go back to Maria. She seemed to have forgotten that she was the only reason I was sticking to the 'diet'. In the end, the future she had tried to avoid happened anyway.

Fate is a motherfucker like that.

Either way, I don't miss her. Not really. Miss someone to hold, to talk to, sure. But miss her? Not at all. My bank account is finally back to where it should be, and I've gotten over the shock.

I noticed the necklace with the Cullen crest Carlisle had given me a week after Alice and I showed up. 'To prove you're one of us' he said. 'You will always be my son, no matter what.' I was touched that he would extend that kind of kindness to me then. Right now, I just found it really fucking annoying. I grabbed it and tossed it under my bed with more force than was necessary.

There was a knock at my door then. "Major, sir, everyone is in the commons area, just as you requested." I nodded absently, and rose to face my new army.

Everyone was standing in formation, which was a feat in and of itself. Maybe they were feeling cooperative tonight. Excellent.

"Everyone, I have some bad news." I started, clasping my hands behind my back. Dread crossed some of their faces, but I ignored it. "Maria was found, turned to ashes, earlier this evening." I started pacing then, hands still behind my back. In control, but relaxed. "Any idea of how this happened?"

Shaking of heads followed. I closed my eyes, focusing on the emotions swirling around me. None seemed guilty, everyone was properly shocked. Couldn't be too careful now days.

"I have my own theory of how this happened. I caught the scent of Volturi guards in the woods east of Houston. Fresh. Maybe a few hours old, if that. I think it's a bit too much of a coincidence, don't you?" I stopped, looking at the soldiers in front of me.

"Yes, sir!" Came a chorus of shouts. Good, maybe this would be easier than I thought.

"Unfortunately, there is not much we can do in the way of revenge. Volterra is heavily guarded, with guards who know what they are doing. Even I wouldn't go rushing the castle, more less should any of you have that idea." Some faces fell, I ignored them. This was not up for debate. "But, what we can do is keep an eye out. If they took the time to come here once, they will be back. I promise. In the meantime, we will train. There will be no messing around anymore. No bullshit injuries caused by someone who got a little too mad. I do not have the time to replace anyone anymore. You all need to grow the fuck up and learn how to get along. If the Volturi come here again, we have to face them as one unit, unbreakable. If we don't, we will surely fall. You don't want that, do you?"

"No, sir!" Came a chorus of shouts.

"Good. You are dismissed." The crowd started to dissipate, making finding who I was looking for even more difficult.

"Peter!" I shouted, hoping to get his attention. I saw his blonde curls, so much like mine, turn and look for the source of his name.

"God damn it, Peter!" I started pushing my way through the crowd that was left, wondering if my choice for second in command was sound.

He finally turned, but I was already face to face with him. I took a step back, feeling like I was a bit _too_ close, and punched his shoulder. "God damn Whitlock, why the fuck couldn't you hear me? You're a fucking vampire for fuck's sake. Almost didn't get to you before you went and disappeared again." Ever since Charlotte left him and he came back down south, he would disappear for hours upon hours at a time. I never asked where he went or what he did, because I didn't really want to know. I knew he was trained extensively, so he need not show up for training. I only really saw him when we were about to fight, or when we had large meetings, like this one.

"Sorry." He shook his head as if to clear it. "I was zoned out. Won't happen again, Major. Anyway, why did you need to see me?" I was questioning again whether or not my choice was sound.

"Well, I need a second in command. What do you say, Captain?"

"Uhm…Are you sure you want me as your second? I mean, I wouldn't be offended if you wanted someone who has been here more than I have."

I shook my head. "Nope. There isn't anyone that I trust more than you. You will have to be more accessible, though. I need to be able to quickly find you if something happens. You can't be off in the woods doing whatever the hell you do out there. You would have your own tent here, though."

He nodded. "Well, what the hell. Sure, I'll be your second, Major."

"Thanks, Peter. I didn't know what I was going to do if you refused." I shook his hand.

"Well, I'm going to go into the wo…find the new tent. Where did you say it was again, Major?"

I smiled, glad he was making an effort. I pointed him in the right direction, and I didn't see him the rest of the night, which was fine.

I spent that night, and the majority of the nights following, supervising the training that was going on. We were steadily improving, there were far less fights between everyone. I was impressed, and I rewarded them for their good behavior. I let them hunt more often, and let them hunt longer.

I had groups running patrol around the compound, and I finally got the elaborate video surveillance system up and running that Maria had installed, but never set up. We were ready to fight at a moments notice.

I would not be caught off guard if the Volturi came again. This I knew.

Hello there, guys. I'm so sorry this has taken me so long, you wouldn't believe how busy I've been. With starting a new job, and I recently discovered the awesomeness that is The Hunger Games, those two things quickly took over my life. I'm back, though! I figured it was time to let you all know where Jasper was and what was going on with him, so tell me what you all think!

-Blaize


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